Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew

I made a couple of minor changes, but this Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew recipe is the same recipe as the Half-Baked Harvest’s Simple Coconut Quinoa and Lentil Curry with Lime Mango. If you haven’t checked out Half-Baked Harvest yet, then I recommend hopping over there to behold the hearty, healthy, and unique recipes that twenty-something Tieghan is creating–her photography is inspiring as well.

This Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew is for those of you who love two of the fundamental flavors of Thai cooking–coconut and curry. I was blown away by how delicious this dish turned out, and I consider it one of the top three stews I’ve ever eaten.

Saute the carrots and red (and/or yellow) bell peppers until tender

Half-Baked Harvest says the prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 25 minutes, for a total of 35 minutes to make this stew, but I think one hour is a much more realistic time estimate. You’ll want to chop the carrots fine to medium and start sauteing them while you chop up the red and/or yellow bell peppers. From start to finish, I used my favorite enamel cast iron pot that has a lid for cooking this Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew.

Use lots of red curry paste

There’s lots of curry in this dish…I added about 3/4th of a jar of Thai Kitchen’s red curry paste…

Curry powder for Thai-inspired stew: I add a lot of the mild and a little of the hot

…you’ll be adding a can of full-fat coconut milk plus 4 cups of coconut water. My daughter happened to have a bottle of this CoCo Joy brand in the fridge, and I’m so glad, because I think coconut water really amps up the coconut flavor profile of this Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew. If you don’t have or can’t find coconut water, then you can substitute low sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth, or just plain water.

Red Boat Fish Sauce adds flavorful umami

At this point, you’ll also add a tablespoon or so of fish sauce. I’ve tried several brands of fish sauce, and I think that Red Boat brand is by far the best in quality and taste…Our Daily Brine conducted a blind taste test of fish sauces, and agrees with me. I only added one tablespoon of fish sauce the first time that I made this Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew, but I plan to add two tablespoons next time…Red Boat’s fish sauce adds a briney umami depth that I love. If you are vegan, then just substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce.

Prep the fresh toppings while the stew cooks

While the stew is cooking, go ahead and prepare the fresh toppings that will be served on the cooked stew. And whatever you do, please don’t skip the mango as a topping–it adds a tropical, tangy, sweet foil that complements the Thai-inspired flavors perfectly.

Ladle up some Thai-inspired stew

Once the lentils and quinoa are cooked, ladle some of this hearty Thai-Inspired stew into a bowl…

…and then add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. You’ll be in Thai-inspired heaven, I promise! Half-Baked Harvest also suggests slivered almonds, which I added as a topping the next day–they mirror so nicely the coconut flavors, and add even more heartiness to this dish. I also think that unsweetened coconut flakes would work great in lieu of the almonds.

Curried quinoa and lentil stew makes for fab leftovers

Thai-Inspired Quinoa Lentil Stew tastes just as good as leftovers, when served over the next few days. This is rich and filling stew, and easily serves 5 or 6 as a main dish. Here’s the printable recipe: